


Loyalty

by Steadfxst



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-08 18:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14111304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steadfxst/pseuds/Steadfxst
Summary: Eleanor is Michael's gun moll.





	1. Chapter 1

Eleanor looks up from her copy of _Ladies Home Journal_ when Michael exits his office and puts on his overcoat. The light from the kitchenette catches on the pistol in his shoulder holster.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Out,” he says, donning his fedora.

“Out where?”

When he ignores her, Eleanor stands and places herself between him and the door. He sighs and gives her a look.

“Eleanor.”

“I think I have a right to know where my man is going at ten o’clock on a Saturday night.”

“Shawn called. He said he needs my help. Now let me by.”

He makes to grab for the doorknob, but she stops him.

“So you can promise me this doesn’t have to do with some tramp named Vicky.”

This throws Michael off-guard, and he drops his usual calm demeanor for just long enough for Eleanor to notice.

“I’m not an idiot, Michael,” she says.

Michael, seeing that he wasn’t going to be able to leave their apartment right away, goes back into the kitchen and pours himself a glass of moonshine.

“You’re not even going to bother to deny it?” she sneers.

“I don’t say anything about you and Chidi,” Michael says. Eleanor is about to argue that that was _completely_ different, but he continues. “ _Or_ Tahani.”

Eleanor clenches her teeth.

“I’m not an idiot either,” he says.

Eleanor sighs and walks into the kitchen. She grabs a glass.

“Pour me some of that, will ya?”

He does, and she takes a long swill. She grimaces and wipes off her mouth.

“Who made this?”

Michael laughs at the face she makes at the sour taste.

“I bought it from Jason.”

Eleanor’s brow quirks.

“I thought he was behind bars.”

Michael shrugs and takes another sip. For a while, the only sounds in the apartment are the ticking of the clock and the lonesome train whistle. Michael puts his empty glass down on the counter.

“Shawn’s waiting for me,” Michael says.

“Do you have back-up?” she asks.

“Eleanor, are you…worried about me?” he teases, smiling.

Eleanor feigns nonchalance.

“Yeah. I'm worried. I mean 'cause you're my ticket out of here, genius. Don't go getting all goopy on me.”

Michael leans down and kisses her on the lips.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Eleanor says.

She doesn’t believe him. Any mission from Shawn could be his last. Michael was an oddity; not many gangsters lived past the age of forty. Everyone thought he was too old for her, but Eleanor was loyal—well, as loyal as a moll could be—what with how he saved her from her old life and all.

Eleanor can’t watch him leave, so she doesn’t. She doesn’t look up from the dingy kitchen floor until long after the echo of the front door closing has left her ears. Eleanor breathes deep before heading into Michael’s office.

She picks up the telephone receiver.

“Information. How can I connect your call today?”

Eleanor licks her lips.

“Chidi Anagonye, 802 Maple Lane, please.”

The phone rings twice.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.”

“Eleanor? What’s wrong? You sound—”

“He knows, Chidi. Michael knows, and I think Shawn does too,” Eleanor says.

“What are you—”

“He just left. You can probably still get away if you leave now.”

“Eleanor, I—”

“Just go!” she yells. “Please, just go.”

He hangs up the phone without saying another word, and Eleanor erupts into sobs. She hurls Michael’s green sea glass desk lamp off his desk, and it shatters against the wall. Eleanor collapses onto the carpeted floor. She’d have to clean that up before Michael came home. She wipes her nose on her handkerchief.


	2. Chapter 2

Later, Eleanor hears Michael come in, but she lies still, pretending to be asleep. She hears him moving about their bedroom, putting away his shoes and hanging up his suit. He climbs into bed alongside her, and still she doesn’t stir. She stares at the wall as his hand snakes around her waist.

“You worried for nothing,” he says into her ear.

She shivers and turns over onto her back.

“Was Shawn mad at me for making you late?”

“He knows I have a soft spot for you.”

That didn’t exactly answer her question. She’d only met Shawn once, and he didn’t seem the type to be forgiving of anyone’s “soft spots.”

“I’m glad to hear that, baby,” she says.

She gently cups his face in her hand, and he kisses her again. He moves as though to get on top of her, but she deflects.

“I’m kind of tired tonight,” Eleanor says.

She ignores the pang of guilt. Just because he saved her and housed her and fed her didn’t mean she owed him anything. Sure, she was grateful, and she usually didn’t mind. Michael was good about taking care of her. But all she could think about was Chidi, and it didn’t seem right to make love with someone while thinking about another man.

Michael kisses her cheek and moves back to his side of the bed.

“Good night, Eleanor.”

“Good night, Michael.”


End file.
